First Us Coast Guard News

The U.S. Coast Guard has rejected comments by a Chinese diplomat that its recent boardings of Chinese fishing boats in the Pacific Islands alongside local police are illegal, saying the joint patrols are at the behest of Pacific nations to protect coastal fisheries.Reuters reported last month that six Chinese fishing boats were found to be violating Vanuatu's fisheries law after being inspected by local police who were on board the first U.S. Coast Guard boat to patrol the waters of the Pacific Islands nation.China's Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong…

The U.S Coast Guard has awarded Vigor Alaska, a Titan company, a $3.65 million contract to perform maintenance and repairs on U.S. Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick at the Ketchikan Shipyard.Work on the project begins this week and will cover comprehensive maintenance and repair of the vessel. After USCGC John McCormick is dry docked, the team at Ketchikan Shipyard will inspect the hull plating, conduct maintenance on the ship's propulsion system and renew hull coatings, as well as several other key maintenance and repair operations.

Bollinger Shipyards this week announced it has begun cutting steel at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. on the first of eight prototype modules that will become the foundation of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC), USCGC Polar Sentinel (PSC-1)—the first heavy icebreaker to be built in the United States in 50 years. "Today marks a significant step for both Bollinger Shipyards and the United States,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “After over 50 years, we're back to building heavy icebreakers.

VT Halter Marine, Inc. (VT Halter Marine), a company of ST Engineering North America, has won a contract worth nearly $2.9 million by the Naval Sea Systems Command.VT Halter Marine was one of four U.S.-based companies awarded a contract under the Common Hull Auxiliary Mission Platform – called CHAMP. VT Halter Marine’s contract win is $2,899,252.In 2018, the Navy implemented the CHAMP study to find a replacement for several types of auxiliary ships that are rapidly approaching the ends of their service lives – hospital ships…

The Evac Evolution Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) has received Type Approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).The system is manufactured by Cathelco, now part of the Evac Group, who attained USCG Alternate Management Systems (AMS) acceptance for their original BWMS over four years ago.When it became apparent that the USCG’s definition of ‘non-viable’ would become the universal standard for testing systems, Cathelco redesigned their equipment and embarked on another round of land-based and shipboard testing which was successfully completed last autumn.This is the first U.S.

Maritime Environmental Resource Center will no longer conduct Type Approval Certification testing of ballast water management systems. The Maritime Environment Resource Center (MERC) was established in 2008 by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) to facilitate the development and adoption of Green Ship and Green Port innovations with a primary goal of expanding on over twenty years of research addressing the issues of ballast water invasive species. Invasive species introduction through the release of ship’s ballast water have enormous ecological and economic impacts on coastal waters around the world.

The second half of 2016 brought shockwaves to some ship owners who were still in a state of denial about the need to install ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) onboard their vessels. The ratification of the Ballast Water Management Convention and the announcement of the first U.S. Coast Guard Type Approved BWTS, saw many ship owners rushing to drydock their vessels at the beginning of the year, or deharmonize their IOPP certificates in an attempt to delay fitting a BWTS onboard their ships. Others have already installed a BWTS on board or have decided to install one. Much has been written on the various constraints that are to be faced for selecting and installing a system, but not much has been heard about the systems installed on board. Do they work?

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY2017 Defense Appropriations Bill has included $1 billion in funding to accelerate construction of a new polar icebreaker for the U.S. Coast Guard, reported Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). Cochran, who chairs the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said the bill recommends $1 billion in Navy shipbuilding funds to procure the first U.S. Coast Guard-operated icebreaker in more than 25 years. Congress last funded a new icebreaker in the FY1990 Defense Appropriations Act. The U.S.

All American Marine Inc. was founded in 1987 and specializes in the construction of custom tailored aluminum boats from 30 to 150 feet LOA. Today, the company has become a leading builder of high speed passenger catamarans, survey craft, and research vessels. AAM’s vessels feature the Teknicraft Design signature hull shape and hydrofoil technology, which aid in high speed travel with excellent fuel efficiency, producing lowest wake levels and minimal underwater noise. All American…

All American Marine, Inc. (AAM) today announced the delivery of a new passenger ferry that will serve the city of Seattle. The vessel, MV Sally Fox, was dedicated at a ceremony on Vashon Island on Saturday. The Sally Fox is the first of two new ferries ordered by King County’s Marine Division as replacement vessels for their scheduled water taxi service. All American Marine was awarded the contract and issued the Notice to Proceed for the identical vessels at the start of 2014. Sally Fox is the first U.S.

It all adds up to the global effort to strengthen bottom lines, safety margins and the collective environmental footprint. The future for ferries seems to be on fire; both in good ways and bad. The good is always a good place to start. And, that’s because it is ferry fabrication time. The most notable ferry routes in America are jumping into the construction queue for new vessels and soon the next generation of ferry vessels will be hitting the piers (not literally of course).

Under the Radar and also the higher profile Fast Response (FRC) and National Security Cutter (NSC) acquisitions is the U.S. Coast Guard’s effort to replace and upgrade its fleet of smaller response workboats. The building programs involve big money and substantial innovation. But, for all the progress being made, the failure of the federal government to come to a budget deal for the coming fiscal year could also put the brakes on some of the most innovative programs that the Coast Guard has ever embarked upon. In the meantime, it is full speed ahead with a three-pronged small boat program that could eventually involve as many as 650 vessels. The effort to recapitalize the Coast Guard never ends.

Ballast water treatment system testing facility earns U.S. Coast Guard approval. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC) has partnered with NSF International, Great Ships Initiative and Retlif Testing Laboratories to become the first U.S. Coast Guard-approved Independent Laboratory for evaluation and testing of technologies designed for treatment of ballast water on ships. Ballast water carries non-native species from around the world can pose economic, ecological and public health risks. U.S.

The first U.S. Coast Guard approved ECDIS training course is now being offered at Pacific Northwest Maritime Institute in Seattle, Wash. ECDIS integrates the navigational functions of chart upkeep, voyage planning, route monitoring, traffic management, and computer operation. Everyday, more mariners must plan passages, navigate routes, negotiate traffic, and handle their vessels while making use of ARPA, paper chart plotting, visual piloting, and managing ECDIS. Full-scale, certified ECDIS training, such as this 35-hour course, is the surest way for mariners to confidently integrate the powerful ECDIS tool into the complexities of modern bridge operations, says PNW Director Gregg Trunnell.

The first U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) will be based in Seattle and commissioned on July 3, 2002, at the Integrated Support Command, located at Pier 36, Seattle, Wash. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Thomas H. Collins; Pacific Area Commander, Vice Adm. Terry M. Cross; and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will be attending the commissioning. Sen. Murray, who was instrumental in bringing an MSST to the Puget Sound, will be the keynote speaker. MSSTs are domestic mobile units that possess specialized training and capabilities to perform a broad spectrum of port safety and security operations. They are modeled after the Coast Guard’s Port Security Units (PSUs) and Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs).